


Elf Ears

by a_felidae



Series: Fact and Fancy - Dragon Age Meta [1]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Dragon Age Lore, Meta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-07
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25124605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_felidae/pseuds/a_felidae
Summary: Info regarding Elf Ears gathered from the Dragon Age games, toolset & novels.Interpretation I use for my fanfics based on this info - might be interesting/useful to others.
Series: Fact and Fancy - Dragon Age Meta [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1819999
Kudos: 1





	Elf Ears

Elf ears. I’ve thought quite a lot about them. There are some interesting tidbits in Dragon Age lore, that got me speculating. I’ll present the mere facts first, then elaborate upon these with my interpretation.

(Note: If you think moving/emotive ears are offensive as a trait in elves, you might want to stop reading. I can't get any input on the idea, however, if I don't put my thoughts out there.)

I've included what I consider minor spoilers for novels and gameplay, which are essential for discussing this topic.

**FACTS:**

  * Cutting off ears: (screenshots linked below) 
    * mentioned as a punishment for elven bandits in the Dragon Age novel “Masked Empire” 
    * used as a threat by a possessed Connor in Dragon Age: Origins
  * Knifeear: Insult for elves used by other races
  * Flatear: Insult specifically for city elves used by dalish elves
  * Shape: can vary wildly between individuals, as seen by the presets for the morphs of Zathrian (elongated and curling upwards) and Zevran (shortened and less pointy) in the toolset, elf male base included for comparison. (screenshots linked below)



**Ear shapes from the toolset:**

[ ](https://i.imgur.com/z6Xswmy.jpg)

[ ](https://i.imgur.com/nVURWw0.jpg)

As you can see, the "standard" elf male (head base for elf male) has (compared to humans) elongated, pointy ears (elf ear shape not applied), but this basic shape can vary greatly, being even more elongated and slender (elf ear shape 100% applied) 

For comparison of the Zathrian and Zevran presets to a "standard elf" those presets were used on top of the elf male base, sliders for the respective preset at 100 %

**Passage from Masked Empire** , page 83:

[ ](https://i.imgur.com/ShJyuZX.png)

**Dialogue from the Toolset** with Connor’s threat highlighted by me (threats to other races included for context and annotated for easier distinction):

**FANCY:**

**Cutting off elven ears:**

The sources I listed above led me to two conclusions: 

  1. Cutting off elven ears is not an act exclusive to demonically possessed children. It is an actual punishment carried out in Orlais. Considering that Connor’s mother Isolde is Orlesian, it is possible that’s where the demon got the idea in the first place 
  2. Every other warden is more or less directly threatened with death. There is a parallel between the lines “Shall I send it to the kennels/kitchen, mother?” for an elf/dwarf. However, the dwarf is to be sent to the kitchen to be killed and put in the stew. The elf is to be sent to the kennels to have their ears cut off. For this threat to have weight, losing their ears must be as bad as (or maybe worse than) death to an elf. Which made me think that the ears must be an integral part of elven identity for more than just their looks, which led me straight to the slurs used in lore.



**Knife ear:**

The term “slant-eared” is used derogatively by humans as well (hospice guard during Unrest in the Alienage). But, given the practice mentioned above, I strongly suspect that the term “Knife Ear” is not about the shape of elven ears at all.

I imagine when the elves were first enslaved by Tevinter, their ears were cut off to break their spirit and rob them of their racial identity and pride. To preserve the beauty of elven slaves (higher asking/selling price), the practice fell out of use over time, expect for especially recalcitrant individuals.

The slur remained, conveying an implicit threat that is still carried out as punishment in some places, but its origins became forgotten. Most humans who use it are unaware of the brutal connotations hidden behind the word and assume it alludes to the elongated, pointy shape.

The reason why cutting off the ears is so devastating? That brings me right to the next point.

**Flat ear:**

Why would this be an insult? Sure, elven ears tend to stick out more than human ones, due to their shape and size. But physically, there should not be much difference between dalish elves and city elves, as lore declares that any interracial breeding leads to non-elven offspring (for example the offspring of an elf and a human will look purely human). It follows, that the blood and appearance of city elves can’t be watered down by having a human ancestor a few generations back. I take the dalish term “seth-lin”, which basically means thin blood, describing a loss of elven heritage, to be akin to “blue-blooded" describing noble heritage, not literally but metaphorically.

So why would the ears of city elves be flatter than those of dalish elves? This made me think of the way some animals (for example: cat, dog, rabbit, …) emote with their ears, and flattening the ears is usually a sign of fear or annoyance/aggression. First off: I am not trying to demean or fetishize elves. If the idea of elves being able to move their ears a little is offensive because emotive ears are a trait apparent in animals, then I guess their eyes must be offensive as well. (It is canon from the novels that elves can see better than humans, can see in the dark, and that their eyes glow. They are even likened to cat’s eyes. Pages 71 & 149, The Stolen Throne. You can look up “Night elves” for context if you do not own the novel.) I feel, since they are a fantasy race, it is okay to be physically different from humans, and still have them be people. Qunari have horns, that's quite the difference. Not human. People.

Anyway, I simply picked up on what I saw as several hints and my imagination ran with it. I do not suggest that elven ears move to the extent those of an animal do, just that it would be noticeable if you knew what to look for – which most humans likely won’t, and even some elves might only pick up on subconsciously if they don’t know how to read signals. Interpreting facial expressions or body language is somewhat inherent, but can definitely be improved with practice. So: subtle movement, no full out twisting and wiggling.

(I know some humans can wiggle their ears, but that's a voluntary, practiced movement, not an involuntary, emotional response.)

Perhaps some elves have their ears twitch under special circumstances, similar to the way a nervous tick can make your eye or nose twitch.

I can’t help but think that elven ears are able to emote at least a little, because in this context, the term “Flat Ear” would make much more sense to me: most likely expressing the thought that the city elves are cowards (afraid to stand up to humans, living among them instead), flattening their ears in fear. Maybe, due to the hostile surroundings, their ears actually do appear somewhat flatter – not because city elves were born any different from dalish elves, but because their ear movement expresses the fear and frustration they must feel among humans. It’s probably a reflex you can train yourself out of (like flinching), but many elves probably just go around with slightly flattened ears outside the alienage, only relaxing completely in the safety of their own homes.

Even if humans paid attention to elf ears enough to notice slight movement, they would hardly know the difference between flattened and normal ears unless they see it happen. It is less likely that a human will catch an elf flattening his/her ears, because most elves are probably always on edge around humans to a certain degree.

Cutting off the ears is bad enough on its own, considering the physical and emotional pain and the maimed physical appearance. But if – and you’re welcome to disagree – elf ears express emotion to a certain extent, that would equate to, let’s call it emotional appearance. A way to nonverbally express yourself (whether on instinct or intent), that is tied directly to your physical appearance. You need the respective part to use it to express emotion. Cutting the ears off would take that away which would make this form of punishment even worse.

Headcanon:

Alarith's ears might not have been cut off entirely, but mutilated at least. I know that they were made less pronounced in the toolset probably to avoid clipping through his long hair. It would fit with his background of being an escaped slave from Tevinter however (perhaps punishment for a previous escape attempt), and I imagine he hides his ears beneath his hair because they aren't a pretty sight.

**Ear shape:**

The different shapes available in the toolset gave me the idea to elaborate on possible forms of elven ears. There is some party banter with Velanna, regarding the size of her ears. The rest is my imagination, illustrated in a drawing I linked below.

Important aspects of elf ears are:

  * **Size:**



Velanna seems worried about the size of her ears, thinking they appear big and clownish to others. Corroborated by banter with Sigrun and Nathaniel: 

Sigrun: Your ears are so pointy, like an animal. Do they make it easier for you to hear? 

Velanna: Are you... are you saying my ears are big? 

Sigrun: Not excessively so... 

Velanna: You think they're clownish, don't you? 

Sigrun: You know, now that you mention it... 

Velanna: I knew it! Don't talk to me. 

Velanna: So you not only gave up on killing the Grey Warden who murdered your father, you actually joined the order. 

Nathaniel: Are you trying to pick a fight, Velanna? Baiting me like this is juvenile. 

Velanna: I just wanted to know how you felt. 

Nathaniel: How do you feel knowing you murdered all those people because you were too arrogant to check your facts? 

Velanna: Warm and fuzzy. 

Nathaniel: You're a terrible person. And your ears are clownish. 

Velanna: What? Who's juvenile now?

Dialogue triggers at random, depending on your party members. I believe however, that Nathaniel overheard the exchange between Sigrun and Velanna and specifically chose the phrase clownish for he knew it to be a sore spot. 

  * **Angle:**



Outward angle: There might be elves whose ears are actually physically flatter, just as there are humans with jutting ears. Flat ears would be considered unfavorable, for they indicate fear and/or aggression. 

Upward angle: Harder to pinpoint. There is no rule for what angle is considered visually pleasing, for it depends too much on the individual face shape. A harmonic context between eye level, ear shape and jaw line would be ideal. 

  * **Tips:**



I came up with four variants: sharp, slender, wide, and the unpopular rounded one. Defined by the overall shape as well as the form the cartilage gives the inside of the tip. Not sure I explained this well, the picture I drew should give you a better idea. Tip-Shape is generally up to personal preference, the overall ear-shape is more restricted in terms of what is considered appealing. 

  * **Shape:**



Mostly the way the ear curves towards the tip, but length/width play into some forms as well. 

Generally, to be considered beautiful, the length should be in due proportion to width (some leeway), the tip sufficiently pointy, the earlobe small and preferably attached. I made up some stuff to go along with the shape, like how common or appealing it might be, are there any superstitions linked to it, and are there any characters (canon or headcanon) with this ear-shape. I distinguish between 8 basic shapes:

  * slightly curved 



appearance: tip points slightly upward 

occurrence: most common 

appeal: normal 

superstition: none 

  * curly 



appearance: pronounced upward tilt at the end 

occurrence: uncommon 

appeal: below average 

superstition: feisty, fickle 

canon example: Zathrian 

  * folded 



appearance: slight dent in the curve that makes the ear appear to fold inward 

occurrence: slightly uncommon 

appeal: normal 

superstition: shy, thoughtful 

headcanon example: Valora 

  * straight 



appearance: straight line toward the tip, no curve, no upward point 

occurrence: slightly uncommon 

appeal: slightly below average 

superstition: stern, straightforward 

headcanon example: Velanna 

  * arched 



appearance: curve is a continuous arc, tip points more back than up 

occurrence: uncommon 

appeal: slightly below average 

superstition: high-strung 

headcanon example: Merrill 

  * Short 



appearance: shorter variant of the straight or slightly curved form 

occurrence: uncommon 

appeal: below average 

superstition: short-tempered 

canon example: Zevran 

  * broad 



appearance: broader variant of the straight or slightly curved form 

occurrence: very uncommon 

appeal: undesirable (looks to much like elongated human ear) 

superstition: none; might draw the taunt “shem-spawn” (technically impossible, still insulting) 

headcanon example: my female Tabris 

  * bent



appearance: bent downward instead of an upward curve; tip points down

occurrence: very uncommon

appeal: very undesirable

superstition: dubious, disreputable

**Author's Note:**

> You can probably tell that I had quite some fun coming up with the part about ear shape.  
> I am using these ideas when writing my Dragon Age Fanfiction. Feel free to do the same, a link to this meta would be appreciated if you do.


End file.
